* In 1940, Italy declared war on France and Britain; Canada declared war on Italy.

* In 1946, Italy replaced its abolished monarchy with a republic.

* In 1977, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee with six others. He was recaptured three days later.

In winning the 2006 Heisman, Smith took 86.7% of the first place votes, a record that has not been broken. His tally of 2,540 votes was the third largest behind that of the then-2005 Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush of the USC (2,541 votes) and 1968 Heisman winner O. J. Simpson who also played for USC (2,853 votes). His margin of victory (1,662 votes) was also the second largest in the history of the award, eclipsed only by O.J. Simpson who won by 1,750 votes.

Smith was signed by the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League on September 2, 2011.An injury to fellow Heisman Trophy-winner Eric Crouch in the season opener, opened the door for Smith to become the starter, though the Nighthawks decided to go with Jeremiah Masoli who had been with the team longer.

Smith’s first UFL start came in Omaha’s final game of the season, a 25-19 loss to the Mountain Lions of Sacramento in the consolation round of the postseason. In the game, Smith completed 17-of-33 passes for 191 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, including a 81-yard touchdown pass to Chad Lucas.

Former Ohio State running back Ron Springs died last week in a Dallas hospital. He had been in a coma since October 12, 2007, when surgery to remove a cyst from his forearm went wrong. leaving his brain impared.

Springs, who was 54, led OSU in rushing with 1,166 yards in 1977 and ranks 18th all-time with 2,140. He played from 1976-1978 with the Buckeyes after transferring from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

Former UCLA coach Dick Vermeil felt that Springs was the best running back since O.J. Simpson while at Coffeyville and tried to recruit him but Ohio State and Woody Hayes beat him to the punch.

The father of former Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs, Ron was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round in the 1979 NFL draft, and played six seasons in Dallas as Tony Dorsett’s blocking fullback. He then played two years with Tampa Bay.

Prior to the 2007 setback which left him in a coma for 3 1/2 years, Springs had went through several health setbacks including diabetes, kidney failure, an organ transplant and amputation of his lower right leg.